A County Durham biochemist has been given an arts grant to rewrite the Mikado - into Geordie.

Gary Winn, from Darlington, has been given �500 by Northern Arts to remake the Gilbert and Sullivan classic opera.

The amateur opera performer says he wants to give the musical masterpiece a feel closer to Jarrow than Japan.

Mr Winn, 51, says the humour of Gilbert and Sullivan is outdated and needs an injection of Geordie laughter.

The Mikado has remained a popular opera

He is a member of the Darlington Operatic Society which will stage his version at Durham's Gala Theatre in 2004.

He said: "Some of the humour in Gilbert and Sullivan musicals has become outdated over the years, which is perfectly understandable.

"I came up with the idea of putting in some Geordie humour, to give it a more contemporary feel.

"The music is unchanged, but I have changed the script around quite a lot. For example, my Lord High Executioner is now a former leek club secretary.

Colliery band

"One of the characters has been changed to an ex-pit fitter, and a lot of the script is in a Geordie dialect."

The Mikado, with lyrics by WS Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan, was first performed at London's Savoy Theatre in March 1885, and is probably the duo's most popular work.

The storyline concerns the efforts of Nanki-Poo, son of the emperor, to earn the love of a beautiful girl called Yum-Yum in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

But in Mr Winn's version Nanki-Poo is turned into a member of the Titipu Colliery Band.

Mr Winn says he intends to start casting his project soon.